In the Mouth of Madness

“A thinking person’s horror picture that dares to be as cerebral as it is visceral.” – Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

Sutter Cane (Jürgen Prochnow, Dune, The Seventh Sign) is the best-selling author whose newest novel is literally driving readers insane. When he inexplicably vanishes, his publisher (Charlton Heston, Soylent Green, Planet Of The Apes) sends special investigator John Trent (Sam Neill, Daybreakers, Dead Calm) to track him down. Drawn to a town that exists only in Cane’s books, Trent crosses the barrier between fact and fiction and enters a terrifying world from which there is no escape.

Inspired by the tales of H.P. Lovecraft, this shocking story is, in the words of its acclaimed director, “horror beyond description!””

The film opens as John Trent is admitted into an insane asylum kicking and screaming. A visiting doctor, Dr. Wrenn (David Warner), visits with John in hopes to clear him for release. He discovers he has covered himself and the walls with drawings of crosses in order to protect himself. Upon questioning him about why he’s there, John begins the story that takes place weeks earlier with the disappearance of Sutter Cane whom he is charged with investigating. During his work for a local insurance agency, John is attacked by a deranged man with an axe in a restaurant while being convinced by his boss to take the job to find Sutter Cane. After meeting with the publisher who releases all of Cane’s books, John learns that the man who attacked him was Cane’s agent who was just sent the latest pages of his new novel: In the Mouth of Madness. Convinced the entire thing is a publicity stunt arranged to sell more copies, he hits the road with Cane’s editor, Linda Styles (Julie Carmen), trying to track down Cane in the town of Hobb’s End which is featured prominently in his books.

After a strange journey where unexplained things begin to happen, their car inexplicably arrives in Hobb’s End. Finding it almost deserted, John and Linda check into a local hotel which looks oddly familiar, as do the owners. Not knowing what is real and what is fiction, John and Linda search the town, learning that strange things are happening to the children; they are changing into something other than human. Parallels between the town and Cane’s books become more and more clear, with John and Linda doing all they can to find a way out as the lines between reality and the Sutter Cane novels become blurred.

In the Mouth of Madness takes so many twists and turns, morphing into something entirely unique and unexpected, I don’t want to go any further in fears of ruining any of the terrifying moments of the film. As in iconic John Carpenter fashion, this film creates quite the scary atmosphere that doesn’t rely on cheap scare tactics or gore to be horrific. It exudes an ancient evil feel to it that legitimately made me feel uneasiness throughout most of the film. The exploration of the power of belief is a very interesting aspect of the story which generates some truly horrific imagery. It’s great psychological horror that has aspects of Stephen King with the story inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, easily ranking as one of my favorite John Carpenter films.

The film does have the benefit of some great actors bringing to life the story of Sutter Cane and his books. Sam Neill is wonderful as John Trent, the skeptic whose job it is to uncover plots of deception, pulled into this fantastical world turned upside down.  As much as I think of him as a more classically trained actor, he visits the genre more than once, continuing to impress with his high caliber acting. Although they have small roles, several other great actors grace the screen, Charlton Heston, David Warner, John Glover, and Jürgen Prochnow. Regardless of their screen time, each one captivates with their performance.

In the Mouth of Madness has been given an excellent treatment by Scream Factory, completing John Carpenter’s Apocalypse Trilogy, including The Thing and Prince of Darkness which have also been released previously by Scream Factory. Fans of John Carpenter and the film will absolutely want to pick this up, as it has definitely gotten the treatment it deserves!

Video

In the Mouth of Madness is presented in a new 4k scan of the original film elements in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 2.35:1. This new transfer looks absolutely fantastic, cleaning up the film quite nicely with very little issues visible. Grain is consistent throughout the film, only becoming a bit more noticeable during one of the darker scenes inside the church. Colors are balanced quite well, and as the film takes a darker tone as it progresses, an interesting blue hue is used. Overall, a solid new transfer that is worth the price alone.

Audio

The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. This track sounds solid as well, with a great balance between the surrounds that are heavily utilized in creating a great and creepy atmosphere throughout most of the film. Add to that the always interesting work of John Carpenter’s music, you get a unique blend of the two that will be sure to please fans of Carpenter’s work.

Special Features

This is where the set really shines. As always, Scream Factory goes above and beyond for their Collector’s Editions and has compiled an excellent list of extras. I would have loved to hear Sam Neill’s thoughts on the film after almost 25 years, but am otherwise pleasantly surprised by the long list of new material for this release. Here’s what you’re going to see:

• NEW 4K Scan Of The Original Film Elements
• NEWAudio Commentary With Director John Carpenter And Producer Sandy King Carpenter 
• NEW Horror’s Hallowed Grounds– A Look At The Film’s Locations Today
• NEW The Whisperer Of The Dark– An Interview With Actress Julie Carman
• NEW Greg Nicotero’s Things In The Basement– A New Interview With Special Effects Artist Greg Nicotero Including Behind The Scenes Footage
• NEW Home Movies From Hobb’s End– Behind The Scenes Footage From Greg Nicotero
• Audio Commentary With Director John Carpenter And Cinematographer Gary B. Kibbe
• Vintage Featurette – The Making Of In The Mouth Of Madness
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spots

In the Mouth of Madness is one of the better inclusions into Scream Factor’s Collector’s Edition series. Packed with extras and highly entertaining, this is definitely one that fans of the genre will want to pick up, even if they haven’t seen the film.